In announcement news today, Flicker Alley and Blackhawk Films have set the 1925 classic The Lost World for release on Blu-ray on 9/19 as a new Deluxe Edition. This is the fully restored 10-reel version, the most complete to be released in more than 80 years. From the press release: “This visually stunning 2K restoration, accomplished by Lobster Films, features newly-discovered scenes and special effect sequences, incorporating almost all original elements from archives and collections around the world. Renowned silent film composer Robert Israel contributes a new and ambitious score, performed by a full orchestra in 2016.” You can see the cover artwork below.

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has just officially set The Flash: The Complete Third Season for release on Blu-ray and DVD on 9/5. Extras will include deleted scenes, a gag reel, and 10 featurettes (The Flash: 2016 Comic-Con Panel, A Flash in Time: Time Travel in the Flash Universe, Villain School: The Flash Rogues, Allied: The Invasion Complex (The Flash), Rise of Gorilla City, The Flash: I’m Your Super Friend, The Flash: Hitting the Fast Note, Harmony in a Flash, Synchronicity in a Flash, and A Conversation with Andrew Kreisberg and Kevin Smith).

Warner has also set Supernatural: The Complete Twelfth Season for release on Blu-ray and DVD on 9/5. Extras will include Extras will include audio commentaries, deleted scenes, a gag reel, and 4 featurettes (The Winchester Mythology: Mary Winchester, The Winchester Mythology: Clash of the British Men of Letters, The Winchester Mythology: The Hunters Life, and Supernatural 2016 Comic-Con Panel).

Shout! Factory has just revealed a DVD box set of Homicide: Life on the Street – The Complete Series that’s due on 7/4. This will be a 35-disc set containing all 122 episodes plus bonus content, including audio commentary on several episodes and interviews.

20th Century Fox Home Entertainment has set the sci-fi thriller Phoenix Forgotten for release on Blu-ray and DVD on 8/1.

Fox has also set All Nighter, starring J.K. Simmons and Emile Hirsch, for DVD only release on 6/6.

And Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has set Smurfs: The Lost Village for release on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD on 7/11. Extras will include audio commentary with the filmmakers, deleted scenes, a music video, and no less than 11 featurettes.

In other news today, we’ve learned that Universal has restored the 1920 Lon Chaney silent film Outside the Law and will debut it in a screening at the 2017 San Francisco Silent Film Festival on 6/3. It will be interesting to see if it appears on Blu-ray or DVD later this year. In any case, you can read more here.

Here’s a look at new cover artwork for some of the titles mentioned above, including updated final artwork for Paramount’s Ghost in the Shell on Blu-ray (click to pre-order the titles on Amazon.com if available)…

Back tomorrow morning with a review of FUNimation’s new Speed Racer: The Complete Series on Blu-ray and more! Stay tuned…

And in announcement news today, Paramount has officially set director Rupert Sanders’ live-action Ghost in the Shell for release on Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD format on 7/25, with the Digital HD release expected on 7/7. The film stars Scarlett Johansson, Takeshi Kitano, Michael Carmen Pitt, Pilou Asbæk, Chin Han, and Juliette Binoche. Extras on the Blu-ray versions will include 3 featurettes (Hard-Wired Humanity: Making Ghost in the Shell, Section 9: Cyber Defenders, and Man & Machine: The Ghost Philosophy). And that’s it. Audio on the 4K and Blu-ray releases will be Dolby Atmos. You’ll find the cover artwork for all three Blu-ray versions below (click to pre-order them on Amazon.com)…

The piece also features updated facts and statistics about the film’s initial theatrical fun and it comes with a great roundtable interview featuring Marcus Hearn (author of The Cinema of George Lucas), Patrick Read Johnson (the writer and director of 5-25-77 and the first “civilian” to see Star Wars during a visit to Industrial Light and Magic in early 1977 while the film was still in production), our friend Kevin Rubio (the director and co-writer of Troops), and another great friend, the longtime DVD and Blu-ray documentarian Charles de Lauzirika (of Alien Anthology, Twin Peaks: The Entire Mystery, and Blade Runner: The Final Cut fame, of course, but who also recently produced the Star Wars: Launch Bay featurette for Lucasfilm that’s now playing at Disneyland and Disney World). Michael’s piece is not just a great read, it’s an important piece of film history journalism, and I hope you all enjoy it as much as we have.

Now then... I wanted to take a moment, before we close, to post a personal note today. Because, for those of us in Generation X in particular, this is a rather important occasion.

In the Summer of 1977, I was a ten-year-old child of divorce moving from home to home and city to city, losing friends as fast as I made them, and at one point attending a new school a year. Then I saw Star Wars... and none of that mattered. Forty years later, I still vividly recall walking out of the theater with my mother and aunt, a wide-eyed chatterbox, nearly vibrating with excitement. My imagination was unleashed, my dreams were fired into space, and all I had to do to make new friends was ask (or be asked): “Have you seen Star Wars?” For me, this has never been just a film. It’s an experience that altered my life in profoundly positive ways, making what should have been a terrible time joyous. It shaped me, gave me direction, and led me to some of my oldest and dearest friends.

Whatever else it might be, Star Wars is part of who I am. I’ll always be grateful for that. Thank you, George.

That’s all for now. It’s time to go spin a movie disc in the player. I know just the one.

Now then... 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment has just set officially The Boss Baby for release on Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD on 7/25, with the Digital HD release expected on 7/4. Extras will include deleted scenes, The Boss Baby and Tim’s Treasure Hunt Through Time mini adventure, and 6 featurettes (The Forever Puppy Infomercial, BabyCorp and You, Babies vs. Puppies: Who Do YOU Love?, The Boss Baby’s Undercover Team, Cookies are for Closers: Inside BabyCorp, and The Great Sibling Competition).

Fox has also set the Prison Break: Event Series for release on Blu-ray and DVD on 6/27. Extras will include audio commentary, deleted scenes, and multiple featurettes.

Universal has officially announced The Zookeeper’s Wife for release on Blu-ray and DVD on 7/4, with the Digital HD release expected on 6/20.

Based on now street-dated retail listings, it appears that Paramount has set its new live action remake of Ghost in the Shell for Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD release on 7/25.

HBO has announced the digital release of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks on 5/29. The company has also set Big Little Lies for Blu-ray and DVD release on 8/1.

Warner has just announced a bunch of its TV titles for release on Blu-ray and DVD, starting with Gotham: The Complete Third Season on 8/29. You’ll get all 22 episodes, plus deleted scenes and 4 featurettes (Gotham: 2016 Comic-Con Panel, Madness Rising: the New Villains of Gotham, The Dark Within the Dark: The Court of Owls, and Ben McKenzie Directorial Debut).

Warner has also announced Supergirl: The Complete Second Season for release on Blu-ray and DVD on 8/22, featuring all 22 episodes, Supergirl Lives audio commentary (featuring Andrew Kreisberg and Kevin Smith), Did You Know facts, and 4 featurettes (Supergirl: 2016 Comic-Con Panel, Supergirl: Alien Fight Night, Aliens Among Us, and A Conversation with Andrew Kreisberg and Kevin Smith).

Not done yet. DC’s Legends of Tomorrow: The Complete Second Season is due on Blu-ray and DVD release on 8/15. Warner also has Blindspot: The Complete Second Season coming on both formats on 8/8. The studio has set The Originals: The Complete Fourth Season for wide DVD release on 8/29, with the Blu-ray due from The Warner Archive that same day. Lucifer: The Complete Second Season will street on DVD on 8/22, with the Blu-ray available from The Warner Archive. And the studio has set Riverdale: The Complete First Season for on DVD release on 8/15, as we mentioned the other day, and once again the Blu-ray will be available for purchase from The Warner Archive. You can see the cover artwork for some of these titles above left and below.

Meanwhile, CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Media Distribution are releasing Billions: Season Two, Bull: Season One, and NCIS: New Orleans: The Third Season on DVD on 8/15.

Lionsgate has set Their Finest for Blu-ray and DVD on 7/11, with the Digital HD due on 6/30.

And Candy Factory Films has set Wichita for release on DVD and Digital HD on 6/20.

Also today, in other news from around the Internet, there are a couple of great video clips you might be interested in today. The first if the final trailer for Luc Besson’s Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, which is due in theaters on 7/21. You can see that here...

{youtube}bcIlQFPbPnM|610|343{/youtube}

Finally, tomorrow marks the official 40th anniversary of Star Wars, so Vanity Fair magazine has posted some great new cover photos of the cast from Star Wars: The Last Jedi over the past few days. Just as cool, there’s a great new behind-the-scenes video showing photographer Annie Leibovitz taking those photos on the set of the film. You can see that here...

{youtube}0cub4znLiU0|610|343{/youtube}

Now then... as tomorrow is the real Star Wars Day, we’re going to be posting a newly-updated look back at the film’s original release from our own Michael Coate. So be sure to check back for that.

Here’s that cover artwork we promised. Click on the covers to pre-order the titles on Amazon, if available...

That’s all for now. Have a great weekend and we’ll see you back here on Monday!

In release news today, it appears (based on numerous retail sources and pre-order listings) that Warner’s Kong: Skull Island has been set for release on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD on 7/18. We’re waiting on official specs, details, and cover artwork from the studio. [Read on here…]

Lionsgate has just announced the 11th addition to their Vestron Video Collector’s Series, which is nothing less than a Warlock Collection 3-film set. It’s coming on 7/25, and will include Warlock, Warlock: The Armageddon, and Warlock III: The End of Innocence. Each will include all kinds of legacy special features. Warlock will also include a new audio commentary with director Steve Miner, an isolated score track with audio interview with author and film score historian Jeff Bond, and new interviews with the cast and crew. Warlock: The Armageddon will also include a new audio commentary with director Anthony Hickox.

Universal has set the CG-animated Spark: A Space Tail for Blu-ray and DVD release on 7/11.

Kino Lorber Studio Classics has announced the Blu-ray and DVD release of Walter Hill’s The Long Riders (1980) on 8/22, mastered from a new 4K restoration.

Music Box Films has set Terrence Davies’ A Quiet Passion for Blu-ray and DVD release on 7/11.

SGL Entertainment has set Massimiliano Cerchi’s The Night Shift for release on Blu-ray on 7/25.

And Blue Underground has set Dario Argento’s The Stendhal Syndrome for release as a 3-disc Blu-ray Limited Edition on 7/25.

Finally, we need to take a moment today to acknowledge the passing of the legendary Sir Roger Moore, of James Bond fame, of course, but also of ffolks, Ivanhoe, Maverick, The Saint, The Cannonball Run and so many more. He was 89. You can read more here at The New York Times. Give For Your Eyes Only a spin on Blu-ray tonight and raise a vodka martini in his honor. Moore will surely be missed.

We’ll have a couple more for you tomorrow, including Ex Machina in 4K. Logan and Dredd are worth your time, as movies and also as great A/V experiences. Logan shines in full 4K and Dredd is a 2K upsample, but really dazzles with HDR. Do give them a look. [Read on here…]

Meanwhile today, this comes from the SkyNet’s Army fan site (so it’s not official, but it’s also not surprising): StudioCanal is reportedly planning the worldwide Blu-ray 3D release of Terminator 2: Judgment Day 3D in time for the holidays this year. (Thanks to Bits reader Bill M. for the link.) You can read a little more here. I believe StudioCanal is still distributed by Lionsgate here in the States, so it will be interesting to see if there’s a 4K Ultra HD release to go with it. And to add a little bit of our own Rumor Mill-worthy speculation, that might also prove a smart time for 20th Century Fox to finally release True Lies and The Abyss on Blu-ray and 4K. We’ll have to wait and see.

In actual announcement news today, Lionsgate has officially set the 4K Ultra HD release of The Lincoln Lawyer for 8/15, with Dolby Atmos audio. SRP is just $22.99 and the previous Blu-ray edition will be included with all its extras.

Lionsgate has also announced the Blu-ray and DVD release of Free Fire on 7/18, along with Tommy’s Honour on DVD only that same day.

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has announced Riverdale: The Complete First Season for DVD only on 8/15.

Also, Amazon.com is now taking pre-orders on the 4K Ultra HD release of Ridley Scott’s Prometheus as well as his new Alien: Covenant in Blu-ray and 4K UHD. Here’s the cover art links...

]]>billhunt@thedigitalbits.com (Bill Hunt)My Two CentsMon, 22 May 2017 16:15:16 -0700The Fate of the Furious hits BD/4K on 6/27, plus Lost City of Z & SIX new Blu-ray/4K reviewshttp://thedigitalbits.com/columns/my-two-cents/051917-1615
http://thedigitalbits.com/columns/my-two-cents/051917-1615

And if you think that’s good, check back on Monday when we’ll have reviews for you of 20th Century Fox’s Logan and Lionsgate’s new Ex Machina and Dredd releases, all in 4K Ultra HD format. [Read on here…]

Speaking of Lionsgate’s Dredd, here’s an important heads-up: The new 4K disc also includes the exact same Blu-ray disc as before, which means you get the film in 4K and both 2D and 3D Blu-ray (even though 3D isn’t listed on the front of the packaging). That is confirmed – I have the disc in my hand right now. And you get all of that for a wallet-friendly price of just $22 on Amazon right now (click here). So if you were hesitating to buy because you wanted 3D too, hesitate no more.

Now then, the big news today is that Universal has officially set The Fate of the Furious for release on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD on 7/11, with the digital release due on 6/27. Both Blu-ray versions will include audio commentary with director F. Gary Gray, extended fight scenes, and the All About the Stunts featurette. The Blu-ray will exclusively add 3 more featurettes (The Cuban Spirit, In the Family, and Car Culture). But here’s where it gets a little irritating: All SKUs will come with a Digital Copy code, but it appears that the code will get you access to a digital-only version of an Extended Director’s Cut of the film. We HAVE confirmed that – the Extended Director’s Cut is NOT on any of the actual discs, including 4K. It’s Digital only. As I said, we’re working to confirm that and we’ll let you know when we do. The 4K disc (according to the back of the packaging art) has Dolby Vision HDR, with both the 4K and Blu-ray have DTS:X and DTS Headphone X audio.

Also, Broadgreen Pictures has officially set The Lost City of Z for release on Blu-ray/DVD combo, separate Blu-ray and DVD, and Digital HD on 7/11. Bonus content will include audio commentary by director James Gray and 3 featurettes (Adventure in the Jungle, From Novel to Screen, and Expedition Journal).

HBO has set Crashing: The Complete First Season for Blu-ray and DVD release on 8/1. Extras will include 4 featurettes.

Warner Bros. has set Major Crimes: The Complete Fifth Season for DVD-only release on 5/30.

Here’s a look at the cover artwork for a couple of the titles mentioned above. Click to pre-order them on Amazon (if available)…

That’s all for now. Have a great weekend and we’ll see you back here on Monday!

All right, here’s great news for fans of director Luc Besson and 4K Ultra HD: As we predicted earlier this week (see our story here), Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has officially announced the 4K Ultra HD release of Besson’s The Fifth Element and Léon: The Professional on 7/11, timed to coincide with the theatrical release of Besson’s new science fiction film Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets just ten days later.

Both discs will include both 4K and Blu-ray Discs, the latter containing all of the archival special features. Each 4K disc will include Dolby Atmos audio. Léon: The Professional will include both the theatrical and extended cuts in full 4K resolution. And The Fifth Element will include the all new The Director’s Notes: Luc Besson Looks Back featurette. [Read on here…]

You can see the cover artwork below (we’ll add the Amazon pre-order links as soon as they go live).

In other release news today, Kino Lorber Studio Classics has announced that they’re working on a new Blu-ray and DVD release of The Wrong Guy (1997). Street date is TBA.

Gravitas Ventures has announced the Blu-ray, DVD, and On Demand release of Aaron’s Blood on 6/6.

And Arrow Video has rescheduled their new Blu-ray of Dario Argento’s The Bird with the Crystal Plumage for 6/26 (a week later than originally announced). Adjust your plans accordingly.

Also today, we need to take a moment to acknowledge the passing of rocker Chris Cornell, of Soundgarden and Audioslave fame. He was just 52. You can read more here at The New York Times. Cinema fans (ourselves included) will certainly always remember him for his outstanding You Know My Name, the theme song to the rebooted James Bond film Casino Royale. Here it is…

{youtube} YnzgdBAKyJo|610|343{/youtube}

Now then, we’re working on some new reviews here at the site, so watch for those soon. Stay tuned…

All of the newly announced Criterion August titles are now available for pre-order on Amazon.com. Here’s the final cover art for each – you can click on the covers to pre-order them...

Now then... are there any fans of Rolling Vengeance (1987) in the house? Kino Lorber has just announced it as “coming soon” to Blu-ray and DVD.

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has just set NBC’s Blindspot: The Complete Second Season for Blu-ray and DVD release on 8/8.

If you have an all-region Blu-ray player, you might be interested in this. Artificial Eye has just released a new 8-disc Andrei Tarkovsky: Sculpting Time – The Deluxe Collection Blu-ray box set in the UK. It includes the director’s complete body of work: Ivan’s Childhood (1962), Andrei Rublev (1966), Solaris (1972), Mirror (1973), Stalker (1979), Nostalgia (1983), and The Sacrifice (1986), along with an entire disc of bonus features. For those of you who may be new to Tarkovsky’s work, the Russian film studio Mosfilm has made five of his films available for free viewing on YouTube. Start here with Ivan’s Childhood and you should be able to find the others by searching the available links.

Finally today, speaking of YouTube, CBS has just posted the first full preview trailer for their new Star Trek: Discovery digital series, straight from the 2017 TV Upfronts in New York. You’ll get 15 episodes in the first season, plus a Talking Trek after show, all available on CBS All Access starting this Fall (no specific date has been announced yet for the pilot). Here’s a taste...

First or all, The Criterion Collection has just revealed their August Blu-ray and DVD slate, which breaks down as follows. Look for Michael Curtiz’s The Breaking Point (Cat #889 – Blu-ray and DVD) on 8/8, Mike Leigh’s Meantime (Cat #890 – Blu-ray and DVD) and an updating of Ronald Neame’s Hopscotch (Cat #105 – Blu-ray, DVD, and iTunes) on 8/15, and Sacha Guitry’s La Poison (Cat #891 – Blu-ray and DVD) and an updating of Alex Cox’s Sid & Nancy (Cat #20 – Blu-ray and DVD) on 8/22. Also, it now appears that Orson Welles’ Othello (Cat #870 – Blu-ray and DVD) has finally been rescheduled for release on 9/26. We’ve updated our Criterion Spines Project page accordingly. [Read on here…]

Twilight Time has announced their June slate of Blu-ray titles, due on 6/13 (pre-orders open 5/31 at 4 PM Eastern at Screen Archives and Twilight Time Movies). The titles include a double feature of the Jackie Chan films Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow (1978) and Drunken Master (1978 – isolated music and effects tracks on both film, Drunken Master audio commentary with film historians Ric Meyers and Jeff Yang), The Valachi Papers (1972 – partial isolated music track), Hell and High Water (1954 – isolated music track, Richard Widmark: Strength of Characters, original trailers), The Quiet American (1958 – isolated music track with some effects, original trailer), and The Bridge at Remagen (1969 – isolated music track, original trailer).

Broad Green Pictures has now set The Lost City of Z for release on Blu-ray and DVD on 7/11.

Our friends at the Warner Archive have announced that they’re bringing The Gumball Rally (1976), Joe Versus the Volcano (1990) and The Ballad of Cable Hogue (1970) to Blu-ray in June.

Any Mighty Ducks fans out there? We’ve learned that the complete trilogy, The Mighty Ducks, D2: The Mighty Ducks, and D3: The Mighty Ducks, will soon be released on Blu-ray as Disney Movie Club exclusives.

Mill Creek Entertainment has just set Bobcat Goldthwait’s Shakes the Clown for release on Blu-ray on 7/11. Mill Creek has also set Merlin: The Complete Miniseries for DVD only release on 6/6.

Here’s something interesting: We’ve learned that FUNimation’s Speed Racer: The Complete Series, which streets on 5/30, will include Dolby True HD 2.0 audio in both English and Japanese (with optional English subtitles). This would seem to indicate that the 1080p video presentation is the edited U.S. version of the series, but that the studio has included original Japanese audio that’s edited to match it. We don’t believe this means that the set includes the original Mach GoGoGo Japanese episodes, which are longer. FUNimation says those will be released on Blu-ray here in the U.S. later this year. Note, however, that this set is coded for Region A.

And finally, Kino Lorber has announced their July slate, which is set to include the Bob Hope single films My Favorite Brunette (1947), Road to Rio (1947), The Lemon Drop Kid (1951), Son of Paleface (1952), and Road to Bali (1952) on Blu-ray and DVD on 7/5, Star Slammer (1986 – aka Prison Ship), Star Crystal (1986), The Hunting Party (1971) and Shalako (1968) on Blu-ray and DVD on 7/11, and No Man’s Land (1987), The Last of the Finest (1990), and Freeway (1988) on Blu-ray on 7/18 (Freeway will also be out on DVD). Also, Kino has revealed that Clambake (1967) and The Devil’s Brigade (1968) are coming soon to Blu-ray and William Friedkin’s The Birthday Party (1968) is coming soon to both Blu-ray and DVD – street dates for all three are TBA.

Here’s a look at the Blu-ray cover artwork for a bunch of the titles listed above (with pre-order links if available)…

FUNimation has just announced that it officially plans to release Toho’s live action Shin Godzilla (2016) on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD on 8/1. The film was directed by Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi. You’ll be able to watch the film in the original Japanese with English subtitles or in a new English language dub. The package will also include special features TBA. [Read on here…]

Note that this film has also been released in Japan in 4K Ultra HD format, but there’s no U.S. 4K version coming at this time.

Afternoon, folks. We’re going to get you caught up on some recent release news today and we also have a preview of some interesting 4K Ultra HD titles our industry and retail sources suggest are coming before the end of the year.

But first, I want to apologize for the lack of posts late last week. On Tuesday morning, I came down with the flu. It pretty much put me out of action from Wednesday night through Friday. Seriously, I had the whole fever and body aches routine going for a good 36 hours – no fun. Moral of the story is: Get your flu shots, kids. There’s a bad one going around. In any case, thanks for your patience while I get back up to speed.

In announcement news today, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has set Daniel Espinosa’s recent sci-fi thriller Life for release on 6/20 on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD. The Digital release is expected on 6/2. The extras on all versions will include deleted scenes, unseen Astronaut Diaries, and 3 featurettes (Claustrophobic Terror: Creating a Thriller in Space, Life: In Zero G, and Creating Life: The Art and Reality of Calvin). No word yet on the 4K SKU’s audio or HDR. [Read on here…]

Sony has also now officially announced the Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD release of Danny Boyle’s T2 Trainspotting on 6/27, with the Digital release due on 6/13. Extras will include 30 minutes worth of deleted scenes, audio commentary with Boyle and screenwriter John Hodge, and the 20 Years in the Making: A Conversation with Danny Boyle and the Cast featurette.

Meanwhile, Disney has set its new live-action Beauty and the Beast, directed by Bill Condon, for release on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital on 6/6. Extras on the Blu-ray and Digital versions will include 4 featurettes (Enchanted Table Read, A Beauty of a Tale, The Women Behind Beauty and the Beast, and Making a Moment with Celine Dion), 4 From Song to Screen: Making the Musical Sequences featurettes (Belle, Be Our Guest, Gaston, and Beauty and the Beast), 8 deleted scenes with introduction by Condon, the Days in the Sun extended song, a Beauty and the Beast music video, a making of featurette about the video, and a Disney Song Selection option.

In the “That Was Fast!” category, Warner Bros has already set its big screen comedy reboot of Chips for release on Blu-ray and DVD on 6/17.

On the catalog front, Universal has set a Smokey and the Bandit: 40th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray for wide release on 7/11, followed by MacArthur (1977) on Blu-ray on 8/1. Both titles are currently Walmart exclusives.

Here’s something exciting: Arrow Video is releasing a new Blu-ray edition of John Frankenheimer’s Ronin on 8/15. It includes the film mastered from “a new 4K restoration of the original camera negative produced by Arrow Video exclusively for this release, supervised and approved by director of photography Robert Fraisse.” The disc will include audio commentary by Frankenheimer, a brand new video interview with Robert Fraisse, Paul Joyce’s 1994 BFI documentary on Robert De Niro, 6 archival featurettes (including Ronin: Filming in the Fast Lane, Through the Lens, The Driving of Ronin, Natascha McElhone: An Actor’s Process, Composing the Ronin Score, and In the Ronin Cutting Room), Venice Film Festival interviews with Robert De Niro, Jean Reno, and Natascha McElhone, an alternate ending, and the theatrical trailer. You’ll also get reversible sleeve artwork and the first pressing will include a booklet illustrated by Chris Malbon with new liner notes by critic Travis Crawford.

Arrow Video has also set a 2K-remastered Blu-ray of Erik the Conqueror (1961) for release on 8/29 and they have Terror in a Texas Town (1958) coming to Blu-ray as well on 7/11.

Kino Lorber has set its June slate, which will include Zaza (1923 – Blu-ray and DVD), The Man in the Glass Booth (1975 – Blu-ray), and Strike a Pose (DVD) on 6/6, Anton Chekhov’s Three Sisters (1970 – Blu-ray) and The Son of Joseph (Blu-ray and DVD) on 6/13, and Amar Akbar & Tony (DVD), Julie Taymor’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Blu-ray and DVD), and Dying to Know: Ram Dass and Timothy Leary (Blu-ray and DVD) on 6/20.

Lionsgate has set 3 Generations for Blu-ray and DVD release on 6/13, starring Naomi Watts, Elle Fanning, and Susan Sarandon. Lionsgate has also set Enter the Warriors Gate for release on Blu-ray and DVD on 6/6.

And 20th Century Fox will release the comedy Wilson on Blu-ray and DVD on 6/30, starring Woody Harrelson. The film is based on a popular graphic novel by Daniel Clowes.

Now then... I believe I promised we’d talk about upcoming 4K Ultra HD titles today. In addition to those mentioned above, we have word from studio and retail sources that the following titles are in the works for 2017. Some are fairly obvious but there are a couple that are quite unexpected...

SONY – Resident Evil: Vendetta has been announced and Spider-Man Homecoming is known to be planned. Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 1-3 are in the works too, along with The Bridge on the River Kwai, which celebrates its 60th anniversary this year (on 12/14), and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year (on 11/16). Most recently, we’ve learned that the studio is currently preparing 4K Ultra HD releases of Bram Stoker’s Dracula and both Luc Besson’s The Fifth Element and Léon: The Professional. The latter two will likely be timed to the home video release of Besson’s Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets from Lionsgate.

20TH CENTURY FOX – War of the Planet of the Apes is obviously coming as are its already-announced prequels. Alien Covenant is coming too, and we’ve learned that Prometheus will accompany it to 4K. The original Alien is unlikely to arrive on 4K this year as it celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2019.

WARNER BROS – Kong: Skull Island, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, and Dunkirk are all coming to 4K this year, as is Blade Runner 2049. The original Blade Runner celebrates its 35th anniversary this year (and The Final Cut was mastered in 4K) so it seems very likely to arrive in 4K as well. The rest of the Harry Potter films are also likely 4th quarter releases in 4K.

PARAMOUNT – Ghost in the Shell and Transformers: The Last Knight are all being prepared for 4K. Terminator Genisys is expected to be announced soon too. We also know that a 4K UHD release of Gladiator has been prepared – it’s likely to be released timed to either Scott’s Blade Runner or Alien Covenant. (World War Z 2 was also expected but the film has been delayed and is not likely to be released theatrically in 2017. The original World War Z is still possible.)

LIONSGATE – Luc Besson’s Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is obviously on the way to 4K this year and Power Rangers has already been announced. We’d expect the studio to continue digging into its catalog every few months.

UNIVERSAL – The Mummy (2017), Despicable Me 3, and Fast & Furious 8 are coming, and we have word that Minions, Van Helsing, Dracula Untold, and all three of The Purge films are coming to 4K too. Split wasn’t released date and date here in the States in 4K but it is being released internationally, so the studio could revisit it. But here’s the big surprise: Universal is preparing a new 4K UHD release of Steven Spielberg’s E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial in honor of the film’s 35th anniversary this year. We’ve also learned that Peter Jackson’s King Kong: Ultimate Edition, which is due on 4K UHD on 7/11, will include DTS:X audio and will be released on a triple-layered 100 GB disc (thanks to Bits reader Dave C. for the heads-up on Kong).

DISNEY – There’s no news yet, beyond recent word that director James Gunn is pushing the studio to release Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 in 4K later this year.

So there you go.

Finally today, we wanted to take a moment to acknowledge the passing of actor Powers Boothe, who apparently died in his sleep of natural causes on Sunday morning. His film work includes the likes of Red Dawn, Sin City, Nixon, Southern Comfort, and Extreme Prejudice. He appeared often on TV as well, mostly recently on Nashville and Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD. Among my favorite performances by Boothe are his roles in Tombstone, By Dawn’s Early Light, and HBO’s Deadwood. He’ll be missed. You can read more here via The New York Times.

We’ll leave you with a bit of new cover artwork for some of the titles mentioned above (with Amazon links if available)...

Stay tuned...

- Bill Hunt

]]>billhunt@thedigitalbits.com (Bill Hunt)My Two CentsMon, 15 May 2017 17:06:57 -0700This Just In: AACS 2.0 May Not Have Been Cracked After Allhttp://thedigitalbits.com/columns/my-two-cents/051017-1530
http://thedigitalbits.com/columns/my-two-cents/051017-1530

Now then, as we reported earlier this week, hackers had appeared to have cracked the AACS 2.0 encryption that protects Hollywood’s new 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray format. Specifically, Sony’s The Smurf 2 appeared for download on torrent sites last week in a 4K video file of over 50GB, which suggested a 1:1 rip from the actual 4K release.

We’ve been looking into this over the past several days. What we’ve heard through various sources is that it now appears that AACS 2.0 has not, in fact, been cracked. Rather, it’s looking like the encryption keys protecting that specific title were somehow compromised or faulty. So that disc was indeed ripped successfully, but the vulnerability lies with that title alone, and not other UHD releases or the AACS 2.0 system itself.

This information is unofficial, and has come to us from off the record sources, so we caution you to take it with a grain of salt. But it would seem to be corroborated by the fact that no other ripped UHD titles have appeared online since The Smurfs 2.

We’re continuing to look into this, of course, but we thought this much was worth sharing today.

Stay tuned…

- Bill Hunt

]]>billhunt@thedigitalbits.com (Bill Hunt)My Two CentsWed, 10 May 2017 15:21:37 -0700AACS 2.0 encryption may be cracked, plus Song to Song set for 4K & Sony reveals its 1st Dolby Vision titlehttp://thedigitalbits.com/columns/my-two-cents/050817-1545
http://thedigitalbits.com/columns/my-two-cents/050817-1545

Well, it appears that AACS 2.0 encryption used in 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray releases may have been broken by digital pirates. The first torrent ripped from a UHD disc has appeared online in the past week. It’s Sony’s The Smurfs 2 of all things. You can read more here on PC Magazine. The file is a whopping 53GB in size, however, so I’m not sure who would ever want to download such a thing. Still, it’s interesting news nonetheless.

Also today, we’ve learned that Resident Evil: Vendetta, which was recently announced by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment for release on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD on 7/18, will be the studio’s first 4K title to feature Dolby Vision HDR. [Read on here…]

While we’re speaking of 4K, it turns out that Broad Green Pictures’ recently announced 7/4 release of director Terrence Malick’s Song to Song will include a 4K UHD SKU in addition to Blu-ray and DVD. Good news, but frankly we’d rather see the studio release his recent IMAX film Voyage of Time on the format instead. Perhaps that will be forthcoming as well.

First of all, let me just say this: Go see James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2. If you liked the first film at all, you’ll love this one too. It’s every bit as over-the-top, outrageous, and ridiculous as the original, and you’ll laugh the whole way through. I really think that for sheer originality and fun, Guardians is my pick for the crown jewel of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Much like Deadpool, it doesn’t ever really take itself seriously, but it has a ton of heart. It’s highly recommended.

Now then, in announcement news, 20th Century Fox Entertainment has now officially announced the Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD release of James Mangold’s Logan on 5/23. Audio will be Dolby Atmos on the 4K edition. You’ll get the R-rated theatrical version of the film along with Logan Noir (the B&W version, also on the 4K disc per Mangold), audio commentary with Mangold, deleted scenes with optional commentary by Mangold, and the Making Logan documentary.

Here’s a nice surprise: Shout! Factory has just announced that they’re releasing a Whale Rider: 15th Anniversary Edition as part of their Shout! Select line-up on 8/22 (SRP $22.97). It’s going to include a digital download too, which I believe is first for the company. Shout! has also set a Missing in Action: Collector’s Edition for release on Blu-ray on 8/15. And here’s something interesting: Shout! has set a Fargo: 20th Anniversary Edition Steelbook for release on 8/8 ($22.97), as well as a trio of John Carpenter Steelbook BDs on 8/1, including Escape from New York, They Live, and The Fog ($26.99 each). Go figure. Shout!’s stepping up their game, it seems.

On the 4K front, Cinedigm has set Hickok (which is not even in theaters yet) for release on Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD on 8/15. The western stars Luke Hemsworth, Kris Kristofferson, and Bruce Dern.

In TV BD news, Visual Entertainment has set The Untouchables: Season One for release on Blu-ay on 5/26. This is the 1993 series with Tom Amandes, John Rhys-Davies, and William Forsythe. The Complete Series was already released on the format back in March. FYI, the company has also released CBS’ Diagnosis Murder: The Complete Series on Blu-ray (back on 4/7).

On the anime front, Eastern Star is releasing Lupin the Third: Island of Assassins on Blu-ray/DVD Combo on 5/30.

Virgil Films and Entertainment will release the documentary I Am Heath Ledger on Blu-ray and DVD on 5/23.

Kino Lorber has announced that they’re working on a new DVD and Blu-ray release of Sydney Pollack’s They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969) and Harry Winer’s SpaceCamp (1986). Street dates are TBA. They’ve also set Night People (1954) for Blu-ray release on 7/25, William Wyler’s The Big Country (1958) for Blu-ray and DVD on 8/8, and Don Medford’s The Hunting Party (1971) for release on Blu-ray and DVD on 7/11.

Finally today, we’ll leave you with a look at some new Blu-ray cover artwork for a few of the titles mentioned above (click on each to pre-order them on Amazon, if available)…

See you back here on Monday with new reviews and more. Stay tuned and have a great weekend!

- Bill Hunt

]]>billhunt@thedigitalbits.com (Bill Hunt)My Two CentsFri, 05 May 2017 10:41:37 -0700Power Rangers 4K will have Dolby Vision, plus Twilight Time’s May slate is now available for pre-orderhttp://thedigitalbits.com/columns/my-two-cents/050317-1900
http://thedigitalbits.com/columns/my-two-cents/050317-1900

Lionsgate has just issued its press release for the Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD release of Saban’s Power Rangers (2017). Look for the discs on 6/27, as we mentioned yesterday, with the Digital HD release expected on 6/13. Extras on the Blu-ray versions will include audio commentary with director Dean Israelite and writer John Gatins, the 9-part The Power of the Present documentary (includes Rangers Then to Now, Building the Team, Beyond the Rangers, Suiting Up, Rangers, Welcome to Training, Rangers in the Wild, It’s Morphin Time, Power Ballad: Music and Sound, and This is Your Destiny), deleted, alternate, and extended scenes, outtakes, and the film’s theatrical trailer also with optional commentary by Israelite. The 4K disc will include Dolby Atmos audio and will feature Dolby Vision HDR. Note that the Blu-ray will also feature Dolby Atmos. You can see the Blu-ray and 4K cover artwork to the left and also below. [Read on here…]

Speaking of 4K, retail sources are suggesting that Paramount’s Terminator: Genisys is coming to the format overseas, which likely means a 4K UHD release is in the offing here in the States as well.

On the standard Blu-ray front today, our friends at Twilight Time have announced details on their May slate of titles, which now includes Year of the Comet (isolated music track, original theatrical trailer), in addition to Who’ll Stop the Rain (isolated music track, Supervising Editor John Bloom Talks About Who’ll Stop the Rain, original theatrical trailer), The Stone Killer (isolated music track, audio commentary with Bronson biographer Paul Talbot, original theatrical trailer), The Man in the Moon (isolated music track, original theatrical trailer), Inferno (1953 – 3D/2D – isolated music track, audio commentary with film historian Alan K. Rode and Robert Ryan’s daughter Lisa Ryan, A New Dimension of Noir: Filming Inferno in 3D, and the original theatrical trailer), and Brutal Tales of Chivalry (aka Shôwa zankyô-den – Brutal Tales of Filmmaking: Toei Producer Toru Yoshida). All are expected to ship on 5/16, with pre-orders open now on Screen Archives Entertainment and Twilight Time Movies.

And Scream Factory has just announced that they’re working on new Blu-ray editions of The Manster (1959) and Timebomb (1991) for release on 5/89.

Here’s a look at the cover artwork for Power Rangers and a few other Universal Blu-ray and 4K titles (click on each to pre-order the title on Amazon)…

Stay tuned…

- Bill Hunt

]]>billhunt@thedigitalbits.com (Bill Hunt)My Two CentsWed, 03 May 2017 17:06:18 -0700Logan on 5/23, new Spider-Man sets on 6/13, and Power Rangers on 6/27, all in BD/4Khttp://thedigitalbits.com/columns/my-two-cents/050617-2000
http://thedigitalbits.com/columns/my-two-cents/050617-2000

Speaking of Fox, the studio has just officially set Logan for release on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD release on 5/23. That’s only three weeks from now. We’re waiting on the official details from Fox, but according to The Hollywood Reporter, the release is expected to include the theatrical cut, Logan: Noir (a black and white version of the film), audio commentary by director James Mangold, deleted scenes with optional director’s commentary, and the Making Logan documentary. It also appears that Wal-Mart will get a retail exclusive version with commemorative posters. [Read on here…]

Not to be outdone today, Lionsgate has just set the recent live action Power Rangers film for release on 6/27. Look for it on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD. We expect those release details soon too.

Finally this afternoon, and based on retail information, it looks as if Sony Pictures Home Entertainment may be getting ready to release a new Spider-Man Origins: Limited Edition Collection on Blu-ray on 6/13, which would be a 4-disc set that’s expected to include Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2 and 2.1, Spider-Man 3, and – just maybe – a new Spider-Man 3.1 cut from director Sam Raimi too. There’s also The Spider-Man Evolution: Limited Edition Collection coming that day as a 3-disc set, with both reboot Amazing Spider-Man films. And for 4K fans, it appears that The Spider-Man Legacy Collection is coming in Ultra HD as well. All of this, of course, would be meant to tie into the 7/7 theatrical release of the new Spider-Man: Homecoming feature film. We’re trying to confirm this with Sony, but – third time’s the charm today – we expect official announcements any day now.

The big news today is that Disney has just announced a new Bambi: Anniversary Edition – Walt Disney Signature Collection for release on Blu-ray/DVD combo, DVD, and digital on 6/6 (SRP $39.99). The Disney Movies Anywhere version will be available on 5/23. Extras will include most of the classic Blu-ray bonus features, along with the following all-new content: The Bambi Effect, Studio Stories: Bambi, 2 deleted scenes (Bambi’s Ice and Snow and The Grasshopper), Bambi Fawn facts, and the Oswald the Lucky Rabbit animated short Africa Before Dark. There’s also a digital exclusive short: Celebrating Tyrus Wong. You can see the cover art to the left and below.

The other big news is that HBO has announced the Blu-ray and DVD release of the successful Big Little Lies limited series on 8/1, and the digital version is actually available today for those who can’t wait. Extras will include 6 Inside the Episode featurettes, plus the About Big Little Lies featurette with “never-before-seen cast interviews and behind-the-scenes footage.” [Read on here…]

Moving on, 20th Century Fox has set The Strain: Season Three for DVD only release on 6/27, featuring the Under Siege Companion Series Intro with Carlton Cuse, The Strain: Under Siege – Companion Series, a music video, deleted scenes, and a gag reel.

It also looks like 20th Century Fox is getting ready to release Ridley Scott’s Prometheus on 4K Ultra HD, which makes sense because we know that Alien: Covenant will be released on the format later this year. There’s no street date yet for Prometheus, but we would expect it probably concurrent with the home video release of Covenant in time for the holidays. It would certainly be interesting if the original Alien were on tap for 4K this year, but I could see Fox saving that for the eventual home video release of Alien: Awakening, the expected sequel to Covenant. And consider that the 40th anniversary of the original Alien is just two years away (in 2019). We’ll see. You can see the Prometheus cover artwork (and pre-order the title) below.

While we’re talking 4K, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has just announced the release of their CG-animated Resident Evil: Vendetta on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD format on 7/18. The digital release is expected on 6/20. Extras will include audio commentary (in Japanese with English subs) with director Takanori Tsujimoto, executive producer Takashi Shimizu and writer Makoto Fukami, 3 featurettes (The Creature, Motion Capture Set Tour with Dante Carver, and CGI to Reality: Designing Vendetta), a still gallery, and a bonus disc with 3 more featurettes (BSAA Mission Briefing: Combat Arias, Designing the World of Vendetta, and 2016 Tokyo Game Show Footage).

Our friends at Shout! Factory have just announced the 8/22 Blu-ray release of Hercules (1983) and The Adventures of Hercules (1985), starring Lou Ferrigno. Both are Cannon Pictures films directed by Luigi Cozzi. Details will follow in the weeks ahead, but Shout! is sure keeping the deep catalog and cult classic titles coming.

Scream Factory has also announced the Blu-ray release of the Empire Pictures cult classic Vicious Lips (1986) on 8/29. Again, details will be announced at a later date.

Also today, Lionsgate is releasing The Missing: Season Two on DVD only on 7/11.